TY  - JOUR
T1  - How Well Do University Level Courses Prepare Students to
Be Mathematical Thinkers?
AU - Singh, Parmjit AU - Rasid, Syazwani AU - Akmal, Nurul AU - Hoon, Teoh Sian AU - Han, Cheong Tau 
JO  - The Social Sciences
VL  - 12
IS  - 9
SP  - 1516
EP  - 1521
PY  - 2017
DA  - 2001/08/19
SN  - 1818-5800
DO  - sscience.2017.1516.1521
UR  - https://makhillpublications.co/view-article.php?doi=sscience.2017.1516.1521
KW  - Thinking
KW  -Mathematics
KW  -college Mathematics
KW  -algorithms
KW  -routine
AB  - University students in the field of sciences do indeed take a fairly large number of Mathematics
courses (such as Calculus 1 and 2, Algebra, etc.) in order to graduate for their respective degrees. However,
have we tried to determine the quality of this knowledge? The quality of student’s Mathematics knowledge is
always a crucial matter. In this light, we use problem solving as an assessment tool because it is the means by
which Mathematics can be applied to a variety of unfamiliar situations to assess student’s mathematical
thinking. Using a descriptive design method, a paper and pencil test comprising 16 items was
administered to 120 students (majoring in Mathematics, Physics and Engineering) among semester 5-6 in a
college in Klang Valley. All these students have at least taken courses such as Calculus 1, 2 and
Algebra as the requirement of their respective courses. The overall means score obtain by the students
was 10.50 (SD = 7.72) from a maximum score of 49. The types of errors made by university students were similar
as the types made by lower secondary students based on previous research. The findings indicate the
university level Mathematics courses taken by students did not reciprocate with their level of expected
mathematical thinking that should be displayed by them. It seems to indicate that the current notion of
university Mathematics courses is based almost exclusively on formal mathematical procedures and concepts
that of their nature are very remote from the conceptual world of the students who are to learn them.
ER  -